ISB programme explores AI’s growing role in the future of digital finance

Financial services are undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades as artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, blockchain, and evolving regulation reshape how banking, payments, lending, and financial products are designed and delivered. According to McKinsey’s Capturing the Full Value of Generative AI in Banking report¹, generative AI alone could create between USD 200 billion and USD 340 billion in annual value for the global banking industry, making AI adoption a strategic imperative rather than a technological experiment.

As these technologies become more deeply embedded in financial services, the demands on professionals are also changing. Beyond technical knowledge, they need to understand how emerging tools affect customer experience, risk management, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. The ability to connect technological possibilities with business priorities is becoming increasingly important for leaders navigating this shift.

In this evolving landscape, organisations need leaders who can evaluate emerging technologies with rigour while balancing innovation, governance, and commercial viability. ISB’s Executive Programme in Fintech and AI is designed to address this shift by equipping professionals with a holistic understanding of the technologies, regulatory frameworks, and business models shaping modern financial services, enabling them to make informed strategic decisions in an increasingly digital economy.

Developing strategic capability across fintech and AI

Spanning 32 weeks, the programme combines live online sessions with self-paced learning and a two-day on-campus immersion. Its curriculum covers fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain and digital finance, with an emphasis on applying these concepts to business challenges. Participants also work on an action learning project throughout the programme, while practical components such as the ‘Fintech Strategy Lab and the Applied AI & Digital Lending’ workshop offer opportunities to explore how emerging technologies can be applied in real-world financial services settings. The programme combines ISB’s research-driven approach with India’s unique fintech ecosystem, offering participants contextually grounded perspectives on digital public infrastructure, intelligent payment systems, platform-led financial services, and the regulatory developments influencing the future of finance.

Capabilities to navigate the digital finance ecosystem

The programme develops participants ability to understand and evaluate the technologies transforming financial services - from digital payments and lending to blockchain, digital assets, and central bank digital currencies. It strengthens their capability to assess AI applications across credit, fraud, risk management, and customer operations, while building a robust understanding of governance, ethics, and regulatory compliance within financial institutions.

Participants also gain the strategic perspective needed to identify fintech innovation opportunities, evaluate emerging business models, and lead technology-driven transformation initiatives that deliver measurable business value across banking and financial services.

A structured learning journey from digital finance to AI leadership

The curriculum is organised into four phases, covering the foundations of fintech and digital finance, the application of artificial intelligence in fintech, blockchain and digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies, strategy and leadership. This progression takes participants from understanding the fundamentals of digital finance to examining practical applications of AI, assessing blockchain-enabled innovations and exploring strategic decision-making across the fintech sector.

Key areas of study include digital public infrastructure, platform economics, generative AI, agentic AI systems, digital lending, open banking, blockchain architecture, cross-border payments and sustainable finance. Industry examples and applied case studies help participants understand how these technologies and business models are shaping financial services, with particular relevance to India's evolving fintech ecosystem.

Designed for leaders driving financial innovation

The programme is designed for senior finance professionals, business leaders, entrepreneurs, product and technology leaders, digital transformation executives, and risk and compliance decision-makers seeking to lead the next wave of innovation in financial services. It provides a structured pathway for professionals to move from functional execution to applied leadership by developing demonstrable mastery of fintech, AI, and digital finance technologies.

By combining academic rigour with practical application, the programme enables participants to strengthen strategic decision-making, navigate regulatory complexity, and drive technology-enabled transformation across financial institutions and digital businesses.

Programme Details

Dates	October 31, 2026 – June 6, 2027
Duration	32 weeks
Format	Live online and self-paced
Fees	₹2,95,000 + Taxes

On successful completion, participants receive a certificate from ISB Executive Education and gain ISB Executive Alumni status, providing access to a global network of over 110,000 professionals, continued learning opportunities, and exclusive engagements with faculty and industry leaders.

Applications are now open for the upcoming cohort. ISB’s Executive Programme in fintech and AI is positioned for professionals seeking to master the technologies reshaping finance, build strategic expertise in AI and digital financial services, and lead innovation with confidence in an increasingly technology-driven financial ecosystem.

Know more about the programme here.